London Marathon: Iceland boss thanks 'lifesaving' volunteers

Richard Walker said he can remember crossing Tower Bridge (pictured) but little else

The boss of supermarket chain Iceland has said medics saved his life after he collapsed at Sunday's London Marathon.

Richard Walker, who was racing to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK, said he became unconscious just over a mile from the finish line.

He said he came around with St John Ambulance volunteers piling ice on his chest in an attempt to bring his temperature down from a dangerously high 42C (108F).

They were "absolute heroes", he said.

Mr Walker and his colleague Simon at the start of the marathon

Mr Walker attributed his collapse to the fact he "didn't train enough and pushed way too hard on the day".

"I came to about half an hour later surrounded by an amazing team of medics, covered in ice with all sorts of things stuck in me," he said.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke is caused by the brain's failure to regulate the body's temperature.

It is more serious than heat exhaustion and can be fatal or cause permanent damage to vital organs.

Symptoms include a soaring temperature, fast pulse, shallow breathing and loss of consciousness.

It is a medical emergency and sufferers will be unable to treat themselves.

Source: NHS

• What are the heat exhaustion and heatstroke symptoms?

Mr Walker said he could not thank those who came to his aid enough.

"They were the true heroes of the day and I owe them my life," he said.

He added: "I'm also totally in awe of everyone who ran the marathon, and all the inspiring stories behind people's motivation for doing so. Seeing all the charity efforts was just so emotional."

St John Ambulance said it hoped Mr Walker was recovering well and thanked him for his "kind words" for its "hardworking volunteers".

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